Chapter 44: Chapter 44 It's also quite nice to let him take the initiative once in a while.

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Time flew, and the days of the college entrance exams, or gaokao, were now just around the corner.

In the last mock test, Xu Musen finally reached third place in his grade.

First and second were Yao Mingyue and An Nuannuan, respectively.

Both girls had connections to him.

Their complex interweaving of gratitude and resentment had been the subject of countless versions among the students.

In the last week or two, it was almost a daily strategy to tackle a sea of questions, where half a month's worth of test papers could pile up a foot high.

Students from places like Henan, Hebei, Anhui… and so on would understand the pain before the gaokao.

To prepare for this final sprint, the school also adjusted the daily schedule, such as only allowing one day off on Sundays, reducing the lunch break to one hour, and shrinking the interval between classes to five minutes...

Most importantly, to ensure students wouldn't hold each other back, the school chose to rearrange the seating.

The good students were put together, and those who really didn't want to study were placed at the back to do as they pleased.

After all, the ultimate goal of exam-oriented education isn't to cultivate but to select.

Survival of the fittest; it's something that seems decided at birth, and sometimes it truly isn't anyone's fault.

He Qiang's grades were upper-middle, but after Xu Musen's rapid improvement, naturally, they were separated.

He Qiang's eyes brimmed with tears.

Not over the loss of brotherhood, but because he could no longer freeload fruit in the mornings.

But soon Xu Musen couldn't laugh either.

Because the teacher arranged the seating strictly according to academic performance.

Xu Musen and Yao Mingyue naturally became desk-mates, officially sanctioned.

The whole class looked at them with an expression of keen interest.

Some even whispered that perhaps Xu Musen's recent diligence was all to sit with Yao Mingyue.

Xu Musen looked at Yao Mingyue, whose lips curled with a faint, indistinct smile.

He silently took his books and sat beside her.

"There are only the last week or two left, no matter how hard or tiresome, it will all be over soon, and the purpose of this seat change is to encourage you all to learn from each other and make progress. Cherish this last opportunity!"

The head teacher said.

At that moment, Yao Mingyue propped up her delicate chin with one hand, her stunning face glowing with a smile that had been suppressed for too long.

Her phoenix eyes slightly mysterious, her lips curving into an arc, she looked at Xu Musen as if sizing up her prey.

You little thing, after all these twists and turns, the harder you work, the closer you get to me, don't you?

Xu Musen felt as if ants were crawling over his skin; Yao Mingyue's gaze gave him the feeling of being stared at by a "stalker."

"We're going to have to work hard together from now on, desk-mate."

Yao Mingyue spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

Xu Musen looked at her semi-smiling face and kept silent.

But during classes, whether he was listening or working on test papers, he could always feel Yao Mingyue's gaze on him.

It made him uncomfortable all over.

Finally, lunchtime arrived.

Xu Musen grabbed the roast sausage and candied haw he had just purchased and went to the back garden to find An Nuannuan.

She was happily munching away.

Xu Musen skilfully held her legs in his lap and gently massaged them.

Lately, he could feel some strength returning to An Nuannuan's legs; arguably, with some time, she might really regain some movement.

"Nuannuan, the school has adjusted the nap time, so from now on, I might not be able to accompany you for the entire lunch break every day."

Xu Musen brought up the issue.

An Nuannuan paused in her candy munching, and her usually vacant eyes showed a hint of loss.

"Oh…"

An Nuannuan licked her candied haw again, then suddenly looked up and said, "Xu Musen, the candied haw you gave me isn't the one I asked you to save for me."

"That was days ago, if I had saved it, it would have gone bad by now," Xu Musen said with a laugh.

He wasn't wrong; her sister had likely gobbled it up, tempted by its sweetness.

"I don't care... you owe me an identical one," An Nuannuan pouted, a glimmer of expectation in her peach blossom eyes.

Xu Musen watched her for a moment before laughing, "You don't just want me to spend the weekend with you, do you?"

An Nuannuan hummed a reply and lowered her head to continue with her candy, but one could see her fair face blushing slightly.

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...

Days passed with orderly tranquility.

Recently, Xu Musen had noticed an issue.

It was that Yao Mingyue had suddenly taken a liking to wearing various skirts to school.

Knee-length skirts, pleated skirts, denim shorts… In short, every time he saw her, the first thing he noticed were her snowy white, slender legs.

Every time she took her seat, her skirt would stretch up a bit as she sat down, revealing half of her snow-white thighs.

Xu Musen always managed to secure the best view, frequently finding the sunlight too glaring during class.

When he looked down, he would see Yao Mingyue's shapely legs reflecting the sunlight.

Yao Mingyue's posture was also very elegant; she sat with a straight back, accentuating the curves of her waist and hips all the more.

That wasn't a waist, that was a deadly weapon!

"Does it look good?"

Just as Xu Musen was dazzled and lost in thought,

Yao Mingyue's voice, laced with playful intent, quietly reached his ears.

Looking up, he saw Yao Mingyue's face, brimming with pride.

"The college entrance exams are coming up soon. Young people should focus on their studies and not let miscellaneous thoughts affect their grades."

Xu Musen withdrew his gaze and spoke with all seriousness.

Yao Mingyue, however, chuckled lightly and said with a half-smile, "A glance at my legs can affect your studies, but touching other girls' legs can get you into the top three of your grade. Are my legs that bad?" Searᴄh the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Xu Musen was momentarily at a loss for words; this was not something he could casually comment on.

He flipped through his book to block his view, but the pen sandwiched in the pages fell out.

It fell directly onto Yao Mingyue's legs, eventually lodging itself in the crevice of her smooth yet fleshy thigh.

"..."

The corner of Yao Mingyue's mouth twitched upward, and she moved her thigh slightly, causing the pen to wedge deeper.

Xu Musen glanced at it and then looked up at Yao Mingyue, reaching out his hand.

"Hand it over."

"Is that how you ask for a favor?"

"Please hand it over to me."

Xu Musen felt she was his natural nemesis.

Yao Mingyue, however, propped her chin, bringing her stunning cheeks closer to him, her lips curving slightly, "Simple. Compliment my legs, and I'll help you get it out."

Xu Musen felt like he was being teased, even though in his past life he was often teased by her.

This outwardly aloof female CEO, once home, turned into a vexing little goblin.

Every day, as soon as he drew the curtains, Xu Musen would shiver with the urge to run away.

Yao Mingyue spoke unhurriedly, "You have two choices: compliment me and I'll help you, or try to get it yourself."

As she said that, she twisted her legs again, ensnaring the black pen further between them.

She knew Xu Musen well; he was someone who always had the desire but not the courage.

In the end, he would definitely lower his head to her.

And Xu Musen looked at her for a moment.

Seeing her face so close, Xu Musen recalled scenes from his past life where he was under her thumb.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became!

After being reincarnated, could he really let her lead him by the nose again?

Xu Musen reached out, his hand landing on her smooth yet fleshy thigh, and he gently pushed aside some flesh to reach the pen.

Yao Mingyue, the volleyball team goddess, had thighs that were soft yet elastic, a different sensation compared to An Nuannuan's.

Moreover, Xu Musen was already too familiar with Yao Mingyue, having tangled with her through countless days and nights in his past life.

He had developed some resistance.

But in this life, this was the first time for Yao Mingyue; her previously triumphant expression now tinged with red.

She looked up at Xu Musen, who had retrieved the black pen expressionlessly.

A lingering touch seemed to remain on her thigh.

His hand… it had a unique roughness of a young man, and it was so warm, causing her heart to unwittingly beat faster.

Suddenly, she felt that occasionally letting him take the initiative like this wasn't so bad after all…

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